Hospitals have long used curtains to provide patient privacy and/or room division. These curtains are often suspended from a track on a ceiling such that they can be pulled or extended to a first desired position (e.g., around a bed) when, for example, privacy is desired and moved back to a stored position when, for example, the need for privacy is reduced.
Typically, privacy curtains include two components, namely, an upper mesh component and a lower opaque component. The upper mesh component terminates above eye level (e.g., above 6 feet) to prevent individuals from looking over the opaque portion to defeat the privacy effect. The mesh component ensures that the curtain does not substantially interfere with ceiling mounted sprinklers in the event of a fire because the water from the sprinklers can pass through the mesh. It also ensures that the curtain does not interfere with lighting or with air circulation. The opaque portion provides the desired privacy.
Hospital curtains can become soiled and/or collect bacteria, mold, and/or viruses during use. The collection of bacteria, mold, and/or viruses raises the possibility of cross-contamination, for example, from one patient to the next or from a patient to a health care provider or visitor to the hospital. Unfortunately, hospital curtains are also typically difficult to change and/or wash. Therefore, the possibility of cross-contamination due to a soiled privacy curtain that has not been changed or washed for a period of time provides an ever present health threat in the hospital setting.
For example, burn patients are particularly susceptible to infection since portion(s) of their skin have been lost due to the burn injury or removed by surgery (e.g., debridement). Privacy curtains are extensively employed in burn units. Therefore, the threat of infection from a privacy curtain is particularly high for a burn patient. However, burn patients are only an example of patients that may be infected by contact with a soiled prior art privacy curtain. The risk of cross-contamination via prior art privacy curtains extends beyond the burn unit to other places where prior art privacy curtains are employed.